God has created us for greater adventures... If you're curious about other dimensions and even things in your daily life that you think you see or feel, I'm going to tell you, you're not crazy.
God breathed our spirit into our bodies. And one day when our bodies perish, we will return to spirit. We are/will be spirit, much longer than our flesh experience. We have just forgotten how to live in our spirit without our flesh getting so involved.
Ecclesiastes 12: 6-7
"Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it."
(MSG)
Psychology today states, "It seems that we come into this world with an innate wisdom and knowing of our infinite and spiritual nature, but through our conditioning and just life as it unfolds, we forget who and how magnificent we really are. You could say that we get smaller, and begin believing that who we are or what we are made of is just a resume of the roles we play, our successes and failures, the opinions we hold, and the problems we need to solve. The number one thing that makes us forget our true nature as spiritual beings is thought, or more specifically, our fascination with our thoughts. From the time we are very young, we devote most of our life’s energy and attention to our thoughts. And truth be told, most of them are not that interesting, or helpful."
Have you ever had a déjà vu experience? Feel a cold chill or the presence of evil when you walk into someone's home? See shadows run across the floor or dart around corners? Suddenly think of a friend when right at that very moment they are struggling with something in their life? Maybe the phone rings and you know who it is without even looking at your phone! There are countless stories about premonitions and then having it come to pass. These are just a few examples and are all experiences of your spirit. What do you do with this information? They are all gifts from God. Everyone reading this is gifted with multiple gifts!
Recognizing our spiritual self is not something we regularly practice. Our identity is what we see inside our own radar. We are used to acknowledging our physical selves within the parameters of our five senses. They constantly tell us what we hear, see, feel, smell and taste. We have naturally become social critics of ourselves, being concerned with body image, our own unhappiness, implosions of depression and unending disappointments that surround us. The spiritual world consists of places like Heaven and Hell, unlimited dimensions, people that have passed, spiritual beings, and things that are just not in our current radar of understanding. The wild thing is, there are countless opportunities to explore the evidence of spiritual experiences. If you google or search YouTube, you will find millions of people who share the common spirit.
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience."
Quote attributed to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
(The Joy of Kindness 1993)
Listening to Our Thoughts
As spiritual people we can tap into the different voices that come to us everyday. Our minds are cluttered with thoughts, ideas, to do lists, other people's wants and needs... every second. And with social media we are inundated with different messages coming to us. Think about what voice you listen to most...
Your own voice
God's voice
The darkness
With discernment and being aware of the thoughts going in and out of our brains, what voice do you listen to the most? Let's think about this for a minute. Your own internal thoughts spend a lot of time figuring out which voice to agree with. The darker voices will always speak the loudest, throw opinions, force impressions that we usually agree with. God's voice is the still, small voice that we have to bend an ear to hear. Interestingly enough, all three voices can sound like our own voice. Why? Because that is what is on our current radar. We know our own voice so that is the one we hone in on. Here are some thoughts in how to make this muscle stronger in you.
Think about this...
Do your thoughts lead you to God - or away from God?
Are your thoughts negative or positive?
Are your thoughts condemning or critical to you or others?
Where does this thought path lead you? Into a downspirial or peace?
Do these thoughts lead you constructively or destructively?
Are your thoughts vengeful or do they lead you to peaceful conclusions?
Do you ever hear, "I love you but....."
If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions then you are not hearing God but your enemy. If you feel like this is you and not an outside source, then you are agreeing with your enemy. There is something called "Innocent Negativity" where your not consciousnessly trying to hurt yourself or others. We can be negative behind our own backs in not realizing what we say to others or ourselves. It's very subtle! We don't even realize the negative things we say everyday that can cause impacts leading into hurt, time and even money. (For a broader view on this, read my blog about, "Picking up Enemy Weapons.")
How do I know I'm having a spirit-experience?
The best way to discern is to test it. In other words, was it confirmed? Here are a few common examples. These are in no way every example. As you become more aware of yourself and how you are feeling at different times, the more confident you will become in your own understanding of any given surrounding.
A certain friend came into your heart and you couldn't stop thinking of them. Maybe you were led to pray or call them. You found out they were going through a heavy time. Your comfort was greatly needed.
You walk into someone's home and cold chills move up and down your spine sending the hair on your arms to stand straight up. Later you find out that the owner is having strange supernatural experiences in that house.
If you feel a sudden emotion or pain within your body while you're in a crowd of people; sadness, lust, anxiety, fear etc., pain in your back, neck. kidneys or stomach etc., most likely you are near someone who is feeling the intensity of this emotion or pain. Their spirit doesn't know what to do with it. In other words, the emotion/pain is not yours.
You have a dream of a solution to a problem that can't be explained. And it's the right answer you've been searching for.
You have a dream of a friend in trouble and you find out they really are in trouble.
You have a feeling (good or bad) of another spirit/entity in the room and someone else is having a similar experience.
Someone who has passed has come to give you a message and it's encouraging for you at just the right time.
You feel a strong need to speak to someone with words that suddenly come into your heart and it directly impacts them with hope and encouragement.
God is Creative!
God made us unique, creative and different in every way. We all hear and experience God differently within our senses. I've worked with all kinds of people and I want to tell you that they all experience spiritual experiences. Many don't know that the experience is actually spiritual. How do you hear God or the spirit?
Tune into these...
Listen through your heart. Your heart has a memory.
Maybe you hear through the left or right side of your head?
Does Jesus whisper into one of your ears?
Try listening through your core or stomach area.
Many people have impressions.
Maybe you see words inside your imagination?
We see through a foggy glass, like a 3rd eye.
Do you see shadows dart across the floor or around corners?
Your dreams have a strong voice. Do you dream in color or black and white?
Do you see pictures that suddenly come to you that you just couldn't make up?
These experiences are all about God's love. One of the reasons we were created is to love and have a relationship with our God. The short list of experiences above is all about love. God reaching out to talk to us, to warn us, encourage us to love others. Below is a small exercise in connecting you to the love of God and to make it a little easier to hear his voice. I have a more extended exercise in heightening your sensitivity in my blog, "Experiencing the Bridal Chamber."
Exercise...
Take a couple deep breaths and relax into a quiet, comfortable and safe place.
This exercise is called, "Translocation Travel." This is a type of spirit travel where the body stays in place but the spirit has movement. There are so many dimensions to this that the possibilities are limitless. This can happen in your thought process, within a vision or a dream. You can strengthen this muscle by practicing, dialoguing with Jesus or others and concentrating on seeing/feeling details. Having someone with you that is spiritually sensitive can confirm what your seeing/feeling.
In your imagination, look on the inside. What does your landscape look like? Is it dark or light? Are you standing on grass or perhaps a beach? A dirt path? A place that looks like another planet? Are there trees or animals around? Valleys or mountains? Look around your environment at everything there is to see. Are there smells or is there wind? Is there sunshine? Feel it on your face. Look closer at your surroundings.
Zoom in on something next to you. Look at the textures, colors, smells. Now look deeper. Does it have a sound? Does it have a voice? What else do you see or hear? Now look deeper. What special meaning does this have for you personally? All creation has a voice, so let this object speak to you. What else do you need to know about this moment? Take a second to write all of this down.
Now look for Jesus. Where is he standing? If your having a difficult time finding him, remember that the bible says he never leaves you. (Deuteronomy 31:6) He is somewhere around you. Look behind you, above you, below you... maybe over on that hill, behind a tree?
In the spirit, Jesus has no colors but pure white and very bright light. This takes practice sometimes. Keep working at it. Because he is around you. Jesus is kind and gentle. You may need to invite him closer. We all have places within us that hold doubts, fears and beliefs that can push God from us.
Once you see Jesus, ask him what he wants you to know about today. What he wants you to know about yourself and what things he loves about you. Take a moment to write all of this down. You are always invited to come back to this place and explore it further. You have an inner landscape that can continue to change as you grow and learn more about God.
Establish a safe place inside that you can go to for peace and interaction with God.
If your having difficulty with this exercise, please contact me.
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
Buddha
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